Universal work holder for button sewing machines



M. M CANN 1,998,587

UNIVERSAL WORK HOLDER FOR BUTTON SEWING MACHINES April 23, 1935.

Filed NOV. 1, 1930 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 ozI///////////////////// IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII/IIIIIIIII 'OUDUBUAUDVDK'OVIIUAUBVAUDU:

April 23, 1935. M. McCANN 1,998,537

, UNIVERSAL WORK HOLDER FOR BUTTON SEWING MACHINES Filed Nov. 1, 1930 3Sheets-Sheet 2 April 23, 1935. M McCANN 1 1,998,587

UNIVERSAL WORK HOLDER FOR BUTTON SEWING MACHINES Filed Nov. 1, 1950 3Sheets-Sheet 3' jaw/ 22 02 Patented Apr. 23, 1935 UNIVERSAL WORK HOLDERFOR BUTTON SEWING MACHINES Michael McCann, St. Albans, N. Y., assignor,by mesne assignments, to The Singer Manufacturing Company,Elizabethport, N.

tion of New Jersey J a corpora- Application November 1, 1990, Serial No.492,718 10 Claims. (01.112-111) In sewing buttons to work it may bedesired that the stitches pass entirely through the cloth or that thestitch be blind so that the threads do not show on the back-face of thework. It may also be desired to sew the buttonv close to the face of thework either when the stitch is through and through or blind", or it maybe desired that the stitch be loose to form a neck of threads betweenthe button and the work. Where through and through stitching is desired,whether close or loose, it may be desired to reinforce the work with astay button secured by the button securing stitches on the back face ofthe work.

Heretofore a separate button clamp and cloth ,plate for supporting thebutton and the work in proper relation to each other and sometimes otherspecial parts have been commonly required for each of these variousmethods of attaching the button. This has required that a considerablenumber of work holding mechanisms be kept in stock when a large range ofwork has been handled by a single machine and the selection ofits'proper mechanism and its substitution for another in the machine istroublesome and time consuming.

An object of the present invention is to provide a single work holderhaving parts which may be used selectively to hold a button and work inproper relation to secure the button to the work in any of the variousways hereinbefore mentioned.

For a more complete understanding of this invention, reference may behad to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a side elevationof a button sewing machine, parts being broken away, the machine beingequipped with a work holder embodying this invention and the work holderbeing adapted for through and through close sewing and with a staybutton.

Figure 2 is a horizontal section on line 22 of Figure 1, portions of aguard plate being broken away.

Figures 3 and 4 are detail sections, each showing a button sewed closethrough and through, Figure 4 showing a stay button on the back of thework.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary view of the machine, the work holder being inside elevation and adjusted for through and through loose sewing with astay button.

Figure 6 is a perspective of a spacer for the button and work used inthe adjustment of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary view of the work holder of Figure 5 in frontelevation.

Figures 8 and 9 are detail sections showing a button sewed loose andthrough and through. Figure 9 showing the use of a stay button.

Figures 10 and 11 are top plans of the cloth support of the holderadjusted for through and through stitching employing a stay button, andblind stitching, respectively.

Figure 121s a view similar to Figures 10 and 11, but showing the clothsupport adjusted for through and through stitching without a staybutton, either close or loose and partly overlying the throat. 1

Figure 13 is a perspective of a spacer for the button and work for looseblind stitching.

Figure 14 is a fragmentary front view showing the work holder in frontelevation as adjusted for loose blind stitching. v

Figure 15 is a view similar to Figure 14 but showing the parts adjustedfor close blind stitching.

Figures 16 and 17 are cross sections through the work showing a buttonstitched blind, close and loose, respectively.

is shown a button sewing machine of a well known type having a needlebar I pivoted at 2 in the machine head 3 for lateral vibration as wellas axial movement during the stitching operation so as to place stitchesalternately through the two holes of a pair in the button. As shown thelateral motion of the needle bar is produced by means of a lever 5fulcrumed as at 6 to the sewing arm 4 of the machine, this lever beingactuated by suitable mechanism within the machine. Axial reciprocationsof the needle bar are shown as effected by a rock shaft I provided witha crank arm 8 at one end, which is connected through a link 9 to acollar III fixed to the needle bar below the sleeve I I through whichthe needle bar slides and which is provided with the pivot 2. At I5 isshown a looper of conventional type for taking the loops of threadpresented alternately through two holes of a pair in the button by aneedle IE to form chain stitches.

Where a four hole button is to be stitched provision is made in machinesof this type for moving the button and usually also the worktransversely to the line of lateral vibration of the needle to cause theneedle to stitch first through one pair of holes and then through theother 2 in which a cam shown at 20 acts a cam Referring to the drawings,in Figures 1 and 2 pair. A mechanism for imparting such motions to thework holder means is illustrated in Figure follower 2| on a rock arm 22.This rock arm is fixed to a shaft 23 at the upper end of which is alongitudinally grooved lever 24 which is oscillated by the action of thecam on the cam follower 2| which is held against the cam as by a spring(not shown). Adjustable along this groove is a pin 25 supported in atransverse slot of a carriage 26 (see Figure 1) mounted to slide betweenways 27 (see Figures 1 and 2) on the work table 28 of the machine. Tothe forward end of this carriage 26 is attached a cloth supportindicated generally at 29 on which the cloth lies and to the rear end ofthis carriage is pivoted an arm 30 to the forward end of which is fixeda button clamp indicated generally at 3|. The button clamp and clothsupport together constitute the work holder of the machine. The

, cloth support is movable on the upper face of the usual throat plate32 secured to the bed of the machine as by screws l3.

The present invention relates more particularly to the construction ofthis work holder by which buttons of various sizes may be held in properrelation to the cloth for effecting any de-' sired of the various typesof stitches hereinbefore enumerated. The cloth support 29, according tothis invention, is provided with a lower or cloth plate member 35 whichis secured to the forward extremity of the carriage 26 as by means ofscrews 36 (see Figures 10, 11 and 12). The forward end of the platemember 35 is provided with a throat 31 through which the needle may passin its sewing and retracting strokes, and adjacent thereto its upperface may be roughened as shown at 38 to prevent slippage of the clothwhich may be placed thereon as will later appear.

A plate member 40 is shown as pivoted at 4| to the cloth plate .35 onits upper face so as to be movable with relation thereto. At one endthis plate 40 is shown as provided with an opening 43 which may bebrought into coaxial relation with the throat 31 of the cloth plate, asshown in Figure 10, to form therewith a seat to receive a stay buttonsuch as 45 (see Figures 4 and 9). The plate member 40 may be heldautomatically latched in this angular position by means of a pin 48extending upwardly from the throat plate 32 through an elongated hole 33in the cloth plate 35 and engaging in a slot 50 in the plate member 40.The cloth plate is sufficiently flexible to permit its end being sprungupward sufiiciently to bring the under surface of the plate 40 clear ofthe upper end of the pin 48 whereupon the plate member 40 may be turned.

The plate member 40 may also be latched auto-- matically in the angularposition shown in Figure 12, then extending at substantially rightangles to the direction of the cloth plate 35. It is yieldingly latchedin this position by means of the pin 48 engaged in a notch 5| The end ofthe plate member 40 opposite to the opening 43 is formed of reducedwidth as shown at 52 and may have adjustably secured thereto an edgegage member 53. This edge gage member is shown as secured to the plate40 at I opposite ends as by screws 54 and 55, one of these as 55, beingpassed through a slot 56 in the gage member to permit adjustment of thismember about the screw 54. In one edge this member 53 is provided with anotch 60, which as shown in Figure 11, may be brought .into registrywith one side of the throat 31 of the cloth plate, the plate 43 beingautomatically opening 43. The cloth is then positioned on the plate 40above the stay button and the button having been placed in the buttonclamp thereabove in the usual manner, the stitching is effected. Thestay button is then secured to the lower face of the work by thestitches which secure the button thereto. As will later appear this maybe done as shown by Figure 4 at 10 with the button close to the upperface of the work, or the button 10 may be loosely stitched on the upperface of the work as shown in Figure 9 to form a neck of thread H whichmay be wound about to form a shank, spacing the button from the face ofthe work as is often desired where the button must be passed through abutton hole in relatively thick cloth such as overcoating fabric or thelike. Whether or not close or loose stitching is to be effected may bedetermined by button clamp mechanism which will later be described.

Where no stay button is required but the stitching is to be passedentirely through the cloth, the plate 40 is turned into the positionshown in Figure 12 and automatically latched therein and the cloth isplaced directly on the roughened face 38 of the cloth plate 35.

When it is desired that the button be secured by blind stitching, thatis, where the stitching does not show on theback face of the work, theplate 40 is turned to the latched position shown in Figure 11 and thework in folded condition as shown in Figures 14 or 15, is presented withits folded edge against the notched edge of the member 53 and partlyoverlying the throat. When the button is then stitched to the work, thestitches pass through the folded edge and with the parts properlyadjusted does not pass through the work so as to show on the rear facethereof. The adjustment of the gage member 53 about the screw 54determines the distance to which the folded edge of-work to be blindstitched may be inserted relative to the needle path of descent nearerthereto and thus determines the distance in from the folded edge of thework that the stitching thread is passed therethrough. The greater thisdistance, the more of the work is engaged by the stitch, but as thisdistance for blind stitching must be less than the work thickness inorder that the stitching may not show on the back face of the work, thisadjustment provides for work of different thicknesses, the thicker thework the further out from the needle it being possible to position thegaging edge. Gages having different thicknesses of work-engagingportions may be provided for special work, and for this reason, as wellas to secure simple and effective adjustment for the varying thicknessesof cloth, the gage is detachably secured to the plate 40. With blindstitching alsothe button may be sewed tight against the face of the workas shown in Figure 16, or loose as shown in Figure 17, to form a neck ofthreads II which may be wound to form a shank as previously described.

The button clamp shown generally at 3| may itself be of any desiredtype. As shown it is provided with a pair of jaws which may be spacedapart to receive and clamp a button therebetween and a rear jaw 8|cooperating with the jaws 80 and, as usual with such clamps, the threeclamp.

jaws may be retracted from each other as by pres sure exerted rearwardlyon members 82 extending outwardly on either side as shown in Figure 2,or by pressure exerted on a lever 83 pivoted at 84 to the upper face ofthe button clamp and having a portion 85 engaging the upper end of ascrew 86 which is threaded into the rear jaw 8|. Button'clamps of thisgeneral type are well known in the art and further description thereofin the present application is believed to be unnecessary. This clamp maybe raised from the work when it is desired to insert or remove work, asthrough rocking of a rock shaft 90 of the machine having a crank arm 9|connected as by means of a chain 92 with the member 30 at 94. This clampis normally held down against the work as by means of a plunger 95spring pressed downwardly as by a spring 96 carried within a tubularguide por tion 91 of the machine, the tension of this spring beingadjustable by means of a screw 98. When close stitching, either blind orthrough and through is desired, this clamp may be of the usual typeherein illustrated without any modification whatever. When it is desiredto stitch the button loose, means for spacing the button from the upperface of the cloth during the stitching operation is employed.

In Figure 6 a button spacing means particularly suitable for stitchingthrough and through is illustrated. This means comprises a forked memberI provided with a rearwardly extending portion IUI at its upper endslotted as at I02. This portion is adapted to be secured to the upperface of the button clamp as by means of a thumb screw I03 threaded in asuitable portion of the wardly and then downwardly in position tounderlie the side clamping jaws 80 and its lower ends are turneddownwardly to form spaced feet I05 which underlie the button and holdthe button clamp positioned above the work to the desired distance toform the neck of threads H. These feet portions I05 are spaced a fixeddistance apart to form a proper support for the button closely adjacentto the threads ll so that the cloth may not be permitted to be pulledupwardly toward the button when the stitching is effected as might bethe case if the feet portions I05 were movable with the clamping jawsand widely spaced when these clamping jaws are widely spaced to receivea button of relatively large diameter. This member I00 may be used forall loose through and through stitching, whether or not a stay button isused as is shown in Figures 8 and 9. When it is desired to blind stitcha button loosely, a spacing member having but a single foot, asillustrated in Figure 13, is preferably substituted for the member shownin Figure 6. This member is provided with a rearward slotted extensionH0 similar to the extension llli of the form shown in Figure 6 and isprovided with but a single forwardly extending downwardly turned portionIll provided with a foot H2 at its forward extremity. This member whenplaced in position and secured to the button clamp positions the foot H2beneath one of the jaws 80, as shownin Figures 14 and 15, and holds thebutton above the folded edge of the work which is presented against thegage member 53. Thus the stitching is effected blind but with a looseneck of thread as shown in Figure 17.

From the foregoing description of certain embodiments of this invention,it should be evident to those skilled in the art that various changesand modifications might be made without departing The forked portion I00is extended for- 1. In a sewing machine, a cloth support having aplurality of work engaging portions of different types, means formovably carrying said support on said machine with capability ofpresenting by movement of said support to one of a plurality of definitepositions any selected of said portions into operative position, andmeans for automatically latching said support in any of said positions.

2. In a sewing machine, a cloth support comprising a cloth plate havinga throat therethrough, and an upper plate movably carried on the upperface of said cloth plate and provided with a stay button holding openingwhich may be brought into and out of operative relation to said throatby movement of said upper plate.

3. In a button sewing machine,a cloth support comprising a lower clothplate portion having a throat therethrough, an upper plate pivoted tosaid cloth plate and having a plurality of work engaging portions ofdifferent types, and means for selectively retaining said upper plate inany of a plurality of angular positionsin each of which one or anotherof said work engaging portions is in operative relation to said throat.

4. In a button sewing machine, a cloth support comprising a lower clothplate portion having a throat therethrough, an upper plate pivoted tosaid cloth plate and having a plurality of work engaging portions ofdifferent types, and means for automatically latching said upper plateselectively in any of a plurality of determined positions in one ofwhich all of said work engaging portions are out of operative relationto said throat and in each of the others of which one ,or another ofsaid work engaging portions are in operative relation to said throat.

5. In a button sewing machine, a cloth support comprising a lower clothplate portion having a throat therethrough, an upper plate pivoted tosaid cloth plate and having a plurality of workengaging portions ofdifferent types, and means for selectively retaining said upper plate inany of a plurality of angular positions in one of which none of saidwork-engaging portions is in operative relation to said throat and ineach of the others of which one or another of said work-en- 'gagingportions is in operative relation to said throat.

6. In a button sewing machine, a cloth support having a lower clothplate having a throat therethrough, an upper plate movably supported bysaid cloth plate, and a member having a notch in one edge in registrywith one side of said throat in one position of said upper plate.

7. In a sewing machine, a cloth support comprising a cloth plate havinga throat, a member movably carried by said cloth plate, means for fixingsaid member to said cloth plate in any of a plurality of determinedpositions, and a gage carried by said member, said gage in one of thepositions of said member being positioned at one side of said throat incooperative relation thereto and being adjustable relative to saidmember to provide for blind stitching work 01' different thicknesseshaving a folded edge presented thereto.

8. A button clamp having jaws for grasping the edges of a button andpresenting said button in attaching relation to the face of work towhich said .button is to be secured, and an element attachable to saidclamp and having a single foot underlying one of said jaws and at oneside only of the center of a button carried by said clamp for holdingsaid button a predetermined distance spaced from the work to provide aneck of thread therebetween during the stitching of the button to thework.

9. A button clamp having spaced button engaging jaws for engagement withthe edge of a button and movable toward and from each other to clamp andrelease buttons of various sizes therebetween, an element having aforked extremity overlying said clamp and a single foot underlying oneof said jaws and at one side only of the center of the button to spacethe button from the work, and a thumb screw passing through the slot ofsaid element and threaded into said clamp for releasably fixing saidelement thereto.

10. In a sewing machine, a cloth plate having a. throat, a gage memberat one side of said throat and against which the folded edge oi! clothmay be presented partly overlying said throat, and a button clamp forsupporting a buttoh above said throat and having a foot engageable withthe folded cloth on the opposite side 01' said throat from said gage toretain a button held by said clamp spaced from the work during astitching operation thereby to form a neck 01 sewing threadstherebetween during blind stitch sewing of the button to the cloth.

- MICHAEL McCANN.

